The first thought upon hearing news of the pink slips flying around the NHL Monday: how much did Alexander Semin's world just change?

The Washington Capitals forward has all-world talent, but, if you believe your eyes -- or your ears when Matt Bradley is talking -- his work ethic and the reading on his give-a-crap meter are somewhere south of satisfactory.

Enter Dale Hunter, who replaced the affable Bruce Boudreau as coach of the Caps Monday. Hunter will always be known as the guy who played hockey like a permanently clenched fist, the guy who slammed Pierre Turgeon of the New York Islanders into the boards in a playoff game after Turgeon scored a goal against the Caps, earning a 21-game suspension.

Thus, the cyclical world of NHL coaching philosophy took another spin Monday. Boudreau, the nice-guy, players' coach who replaced the stern Glen Hanlon has been, in turn, replaced by a guy known for putting a sneer on before his skates.

In Carolina, Paul Maurice was fired for the second time by GM Jim Rutherford and replaced by neophyte head coach Kirk Muller (now Montreal Canadiens fans will have a chance to find out how much he really had to do with the Canadiens' recent success).

A schedule-changing day for two guys.

A life-changing day for two others.

Boudreau tried to be tough on his team this year -- he benched Semin, benched captain Alex Ovechkin at a key moment at the end of a tied game, scratched Joel Ward for missing a meeting -- but it just wasn't him. He couldn't play the tough guy any more than Hunter could resist letting his frustration come out when Turgeon scored that goal.

Both the Capitals and the 'Canes have seen their best players struggle this season -- Ovechkin in D.C. and Eric Staal in Raleigh -- but, for me, what Hunter can do about getting Semin to buy in and play to the level of his talent will be one of the most interesting challenges he faces.

Hunter has had his share of high-end divas in his days coaching the London Knights, where he earned a .766 winning percentage -- the best in OHL history -- so he might be a guy who can get Semin going, either on the ice or out of town.

It will be interesting to see how Hunter's edgy style plays with the Caps, but no matter how frightening he can be, I don't think it will change the character of some of his players.

"The word around the league is some of the guys there aren't taking care of themselves off the ice," said one coach, "so Dale is going to have to address that and rein them in."

Hunter will now coach in a building where his number 32 hangs from the rafters and expectations are just as high.

In Muller, the 'Canes get a guy whose value to the Canadiens was way over-hyped by a fan base that characterized him as the real brains behind the operation when the Canadiens went to the Stanley Cup semi-final two years ago and took the Stanley Cup-champion Boston Bruins to seven games last spring.

Among those familar with his work with the Habs, he was viewed, like Hunter, as a guy who played the game with passion and coaches the same way. But, unlike Hunter, who has been a head coach at a high level, Muller is basically a neophyte. One question will be if he has the technical chops to match wits with experienced coaches in the NHL.

"He'll bring a level of passion," said one former Habs player, "but I don't know at this stage if that is going to be enough."

Muller at least gets a chance to cut his teeth in the relative obscurity of Raleigh.

Maybe not a bad thing at this point in his career.

NHL'S TWO NEWEST COACHES

Dale Hunter, Washington Capitals

Replaces: Bruce Boudreau

Age: 51

Coming from: London Knights of the OHL. Hunter had a 451-189-23-24 record with the Knights and helped them win the 2005 Memorial Cup.

Played: 19 NHL seasons and is the only player in NHL history with 1,000 points and 3,000 penalty minutes. His total of 3,563 career penalty minutes is second in league history.

Quote: "I'm a players' coach, but also the players will know when I'm mad at them. I'm stern on them because that's the way you have to be to win games. Everybody makes mistakes out there, but if they keep making the same mistakes there will be repercussions."

Kirk Muller, Carolina Hurricanes

Replaces: Paul Maurice

Age: 45

Coming from: Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League (Nashville Predators affiliate). The Admirals were 10-6-0-1 this season under Muller. In his only other stint as a head coach, he was 8-13-1-2 with the Queen's Golden Gaels of the OUA in 2005-06.

Played: 19 years. Second overall pick by New Jersey Devils in 1984 draft, behind Mario Lemieux. Played for the Devils, Montreal Canadiens (won the Stanley Cup in 1993), New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars.

Quote: "It's very simple: you've got to get guys to believe in the system. You've got to get them to believe in being accountable for each other and if you can come every night and you create that culture, and you give them something, a way to believe in how they play and why you're going to win that night, I think that's what players want."

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There wasn't much left of Daniel Briere's voice. The veteran Montreal Canadiens forward had been turned into a cheerleader, sitting on the Canadiens bench for most of the third period of their Game 7 victory over the Boston Bruins, cooling his heels despite having set up the crucial first goal two minutes into the game.